Direction indicator for motor vehicles



' w, vos-r l DIRECTIQN INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Feb. 9,1926. 1,572,413

d Jan. 6, 1925 N 1,572,413 4 w. voml DIREGTIH INDICATOR FOR KOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

-Epe rnrefnr DIRECIION NDIGATOR FOR;MOTOR Application.1ed.ax111a1y 6, 1925i Serialy Nro. 831.'

be illuminated, .in which-r e; puilvoi; rotatable Signal discs mounted ;on` the vehiclel Sof 21S to he visible gfroin; in4 'front or `from Ybehindreney closes an illuminating device between the V discs und is controlled by e; control nieu'iber movable by suction or electromugn-etic i`n i` puleeto.either-sident winidposition, the con-- discs so as toiinoveitout ot a inidposition corresponding tok inotion streightiehea'd linto n side position.toindicntte n-turn l,to .the right or to the left, by inealneoi, a shiftingfpmvl from the plate byy releasingfinei-nber and; is returned by returningnnoenlis`v toithe initial position for u, fresh turn.

Preferably,Y the said control ineinben coinprises `a. Wing piston capable f ofy swinging to casingonone sideorthebther Offthis Wing piston. being` adapted to be. connectedg with the induction side of` the vehicle motor. But it may aleobe `constitutedby zr Sliding piece placed. under the control otnlterna-tely acting electro-magnets.

The drawings illustrate by muy. oij'ieziein ple two embodiments or the object ofthe inl vention..

different positions offene of' the two noone, structions Wherenrthe actuation ofthe coniiion indicator formotorvehiclesadapted tov and Jfr0 in a closed casing, thespaees in the Figure l is a. cross section,tolken` at, two

trol member ist Obtained through the suction.- e'fject` of the vehicle motor;

Figure@ is an axial 'section thereof;A Figure 3 is. ze partiel; plenvileiv ott-the same; Figure -.isa detailfvilew; Figures 5,;6 und?` show a; manually operated Suctionv distributor to admit the inotorV suction ele-ct eitherA on; the? one or onthe 1 Figures '8, and 9 sh our the;y arrangement of theeppa-ratuszon a motor vehicle.

Figures l0) and; ll relate y to, the second fornfr of@ construction- Wlrerein ythe icoutrolf` iS obtain-edy by eleotro-nmgnetie ineenfs.

A pair ofsgnul discsy) (Fig-:lires l, and 3) arerotatablyl mounted one central shaft l Withinucesing .adapted to be et tnchedgtovthe ,vehicle:soi :is .to be visible both." ifroinviny front and ifrol'nbehind. Thesediscs are mittlerer:` light` transparent material, such as opalescent gla-Senndiney carry :i colored, transparent; arrow for indicating the direction oi'trztvel, (seeFigure '8.)'. Whilstbetween these. discs 312m electricv lighting. device of: ltnonvit type is provided. In` Figure 'li for example,l two incendescentl lan'ips-ALOJwl-e provided for this purpose,r the arnangenient and` connections, of which :can be` es desiredf Therotationyofrthe pairio'f sig-nel discs' to the right; or left `of ztinidpoeition indicating; motion straight. ahead, is` eiiected by meansio'fn, plete 4 connected to thein, whichv serves ybothl for driving. and .for lockingpurposes and isf provided with four. teeth 5 on. itsl periphery. For turning this plate 4, u cntclrpnwl @ist provided which is carriednby :n.sleeve 16 rotatably'mountedongtliehuit. Lsdidiczrtoh pziwl- 6 being socr arrangedl that in the-initial position it one of the. teeth' 5 of` the` plate al. by Ineens of two spring erins 7 and thus carries the plete d'withlit wheny it rotetes5 until onemrA theK4 otherfo `the springurins, depending'on the directionv `of the rotary n'ioveinent, passes. under one or the, other of twoy releasing,- heeds and is thus released from, the plate tooth, so that the catch pawl 6 under the action of a spiral spring 9, which is tensioned by the shifting stroke of the ca tch pawl, can be returned to its initial position. In this initial position the catch pawl V6 again grips a tooth of the plate 4 so that it is prepared to move in either direction. The said releasing heads 8 are formed by the heads of screws against the underside of which sloping parts of the spring arms 7 strike.

The plate 4 also serves at the same time for holdingthe pair of signal discs 3 in their indicating position. Indeed, one of the teeth 5 of the plate, at the moment when the plate has moved the pair of signal discs into their indicating position and the catch pawl 6 is released for the return movement, springs in betweenV two laminar locking springs 10 (Figure 1) one or other of which'can be pressed back by a releasing tooth 12 integral with the catch pawl 6 so as to free the plate at the beginning of the shifting movement, so that the plate tooth, which until then has determined the locking can pass by the pressed back spring lock.

The spiral spring 9 Vis enclosed between and connects together two casing halves 30,

30a which are capable of rotation with respect to one another. This spring casing is loosely mounted 'l on the sleeve 16. When at Vrest the casing halves 30, 30a are each supported on the stationary abutment 32 by means of a tooth- 31 and their teeth 31 lie within reach of the releasing tooth 12. This latter tensions the spring 9 on rotation of the driving catch pawl 6 by carrying with it the corresponding casing half by itsy tooth 81; Figure 4 shows on the left one lcasing half and on the right the other casing half.

The movement of the catch pawl 6 is effected by suction by means of a wing piston 15 which is mounted with the catch pawl 6 on the sleeve 16 loose on the shaft 1 (Figure 2). This wing piston 15, which forms the control member mentioned above, is situated pressure tightly'in a casing 17 which is tightly closed to the outside, and it can be swung to the right or the left out of its midositioii, in which it hangs down vertically, Ey a suction effect produced at one side or with it in the same direction. For producing lthis suction effect the suction chambers of the casing 17, on both sides of the wing piston 15, are connected by small tubes 19 with tlie'induction side of the motor through a distributor 2O under tliecontrol of the driver of the vehicle. The distributor 2O which is shown separately in Figures6, 7

' and 8 consists of a rotary valve 21 which on rotation in one direction or the other puts, by means of a groove 22, a pipe 45 leading to the induction side of the motor into coinmunication either with the one or the other the other of the same, taking the catch pawl` of two pipes 46, 47 leading respectively to the two suction chambers of the casing 17. The method of construction of thisv distributor can of course be varied; the essential feature is that by operating it the suction effect of the motor can be utilized on either side of the wing piston 15 in the casing 17, so as to cause the wing piston to swing correspondingly.

To show the adjusted indication of the signal discs to the driver of vehicle, a miniature signal disc 50 is provided on the distributor, which is actuated by the movement of the rotary valve 21 through the medium of. a ratchet-like mechanism. The rotary valve 21 is under the action of a twopart spring casing 49 similar to that above described, which tends to maintain it in the niidposition. The miniature signal disc 50 is loosely mounted togetherwith a star wheel 51 having studs 51, on a pin 52 of the valve axis 53 and on the rotation of the valve 21 to the right or left is shifted to the right or left, according to the shifting operation on the vehicle, direction indicator, through the medium of a catch pawl 54 fastened to the valve 21, provided with two spring arms and having one of them in operative or shifting engagement with one of the studs 51 of the star wheel, whilst the other spring arm ofV said catch pawil is pressed back or released by its cooperation with a releasing plate GO. This shifting moi tion of the miniature `signal disc to the right or left' continues till up to the inon'ient'when, after a rotation of approximately 45 degrees, a spring pawl 55 adapted to press upon the ogive like teeth of the star wheelV same for the shifting in both directions and the position ofthe miniature signal disc 50 will thus always correspond to thev position ofthe main signaldiscs 3. f

Foi` the purpose of correct setting of the parts the casing 17 is adjustable in the outer casing 2, being carried in a clamping device 35, best seen in Figure 2.

The general method of operation of the described apparatus is brieliy as follows.

In the midpos'ition ofthe parts the pair of signalA discs indicate motion sti-aight ahead. If it is intended to turn to the right the suction effect of the inotoi is caused by means of the distributor 2O to act on the correspondingside of the wing piston soV Lavaur-1e nal discs areset by thelcatchpawl 6 tor a turn to the right. Thepair of signal discsremain invthis position until-by causing the induction eiiiectf of1 the motor to operate on the other sideotthe wing pistonI a new turning n'iovement` is applied' to-theplate l for returning the pair otsignalf dises into the midposition, after which byv` renewed operation in the same direction, the pair ot' signal discs can be set tor indicating a turn to the lett. The shitting ot the pair of signal discs to the right or let'ttherelfore always starts from a midposition. From this midposition it is possible by a double shitting' operation to the right or lett, to move the pair ot signal discs with itssignal to a diametrically opposite position tor example to indicatethe stop ofl the vehicle.

Vith reference to-Figures l0 and l1, the casing acomprises the pair ot signal discs vb supported on the rotary shaft o, the `form otl thediscs being similar to `that above described. rlhe shaft c is supported within the'casing a by abearing member Z situated between the pair or discs and carries an ac-l tuating disc e. Above the shaft c a cylindrical iron bar 7 is movably guided in astationary guide channel of the member d at right angles to the. shatt C, andis provided in a slot 7L" with two pawls it, it facing in opposite directions, which latter are adapted toco-act alternately with the actuating disc e. This cylindrical bar f is acted on by two springs e' of equal strength which tend to keep it in its mid-position and are adapted to return it thereto. Its ends form the armatures of two electronnagnets n, n which are in an electric circuit which can be closed from the drivers seat by means ot a contact switch 0 to energize either of the electromagnets. Inside the casing a between the pair oi discs Z), b, are a plurality of electric incandescent lamps p which are adapted to illuminate the discs from within and are to be put in at night.

The points ot the pawls 71 it are bevelled so to allow the release thereot from the shitting disc c when entering the hollow member (l.

In the position of the parts shown in the drawing, the signal arrow points for example vertically upwards. In this way motion straight ahead is indicated. llt' a turn is to be made to either side, the circuit ot the corresponding electromagnet, say n, is closed by means ot' the contact switch 0 so that it draws the cylindrical bar f in Figure l to the rig-th and the pawl 7a. turns the actuating disc c with the pair ot discs b, b, through a certain angle, so as to move the direction arrow to the corresponding side, at'ter which when the electromagnet n has been tlc-energized the compressed spring 2T returns the cylindrical bar f bach into its mid-position, whilst the pair ot discs Z), b.

remain in their new position owing to their somewhat trictionaltittingor to a braking effect applied thereto. Further energizing oli the electromagnet 'n would move the pair ot` discs again in theV same direction.k

it when turning tothe other side the circuit of the electromagnet a is closed, Vthen the cylindricalbar j? in Figure 10 is drawn discs, b, Z), in the opposite direction to the `foregoing, so as to indicate the correspond-A ingy direction o't travel. The return ot the cylindrical bar is again effected by the corJ responding spring that I claim is -l. AV direction indicator -for motor vehicles', comprising a casing, two rotary transparent circular signal discs within this casing, an illuminating device between said signal discs, a shitting toothed member con- .nectedtothe latter, a movable catch pawl arranged to catch said shitting member,

-meansto release said pawl from the shifting`- member, one singleautomatically reciprocav .tothelett and the pawl ft moves the pair ot i parent signal discs within this casing, an

illuminating device between said signal discs, a shifting toothed member connected to the latter, a movable catch pawl arranged tocooperate with said shitting member, a reciprocatable control member to which said catch pawl is connected and which, as well as the shitting member and the catch pawl, are located between the signal discs, locking springs to lock said toothed member in its positions,` means integral with said catch pawl to release said locking springs, actuating means to automatically produce a reciprocating movement oit said control member, and drivers operating means on the outside oi said casing to control said actuating means.

3. A direction indicator for motor vehicles, con'iprising a casing, two rotary trans` parent signal discs within this casing, an illumiiniting` device between said signal discs, a shitting toothed member connected n to the latter, a movable catch pawl arranged to cooperate with said shitting member, a reciprocatable control member to which said catch pawl is connected and which, as well as the shifting member and the catch pawl, are located between the signal discs, means to releL se said catch pawl after its shifting operation, means to loch said toothed member in its adjusted position, means to aut0- matically return said catch pawl to its 1mtial position, actuating means to automat-y ically produce a reciprocating movement of said control member, and drivers operating means on the outside of said casing to control said actuating means.

et. A direct-ion indicator for motor vehiclescomprising a casing, two rotary transparent signal discs within this casing, an illuminatingdevice between said signal discs, a shifting toothed member connected to the latter, a movable catch pawl arranged to cooperate with said shifting member, an oscillating wing piston to which said catch pawl is connected, a tightly closed casing enclosing said wing piston and located between said signal discs, a power fluid source, means to connect said casing on both sides of the wing piston with said power fluid source, and a manually operatable distributor to control said connection so as to connect either the one or the other side of said wing piston with said power fluid source.

5. A direction indicator for motor vehicles, comprising a casing, two rotary transparent signal discsfwithin this casing, an illuminating device between said signal discs, a shitting toothedinember connected to the latter, a movable catch pawl arranged to cooperate with said shifting member, an oscillating wing piston to which said catch pawl is connected, a tightly closed casing enclosing said wing piston and located between said signal discs, means to connect said cas-k ing on both sides of the wing piston to the induction side of the vehicle motor and a f 6. A direction indicator for motor vehicles, comprising a casing, two rotary trans-r parent signal discs within this casing, an illuminating device between said signal discs, a shifting toothed member connected to the latter, a movable catch pawl arranged'to cooperate with said shifting member, an oscillating wing piston to which said catch pawl is connected, a tightly closed casing enclosing said wing piston and located between said signal discs, means to connect said easing en both sides of the wing piston to the induction side ofthe vehicle motor` and a manually operatable distributor to control said connection so as to connect either the one or the other side of said wing piston with the induction side of said motor in order to produce motion of said wing piston, said distributor being provided with a movable miniature signal disc and means to adjust the same according to the adjustments of the main signal discs.

In testimony whereof I have' hereunto signed my name this 93d day et December WILHELM voer. 

